Whilst I was researching the symbolism of Turquoise yesterday I came across the most fascinating web page. I just had to share - CabinetMagazine - Hubert Duprat
The results of an unusual artistic collaboration between the French artist Hubert Duprat and a group of caddis fly larvae. A small winged insect belonging to the order Trichoptera and closely related to the butterfly, caddis flies live near streams and ponds and produce aquatic larvae that protect their developing bodies by manufacturing sheaths, or cases, spun from silk and incorporating substances—grains of sand, particles of mineral or plant material, bits of fish bone or crustacean shell—readily available in their benthic ecosystem. The larvae are remarkably adaptable: if other suitable materials are introduced into their environment, they will often incorporate those as well.
Duprat introduced gold leaf and precious gem stones into their environment and look at the reults! Isn't this absolutely stunning and quite grotesque all at the same time? - I'd like to farm these flies (if it were ethical - you know I wouldn't hurt a fly!) They could make me lots of these little golden cases! You can see them in action in the video below.
The article on the website is fascinating - do please head over and read the rest. There are some fascinating philisophical discussions about whether the fly is the crafts person or whether it is Duprat? I'd love to hear your take on this, please add a comment!